Intel has set the launch date for its Penryn based quad-core Xeon processor family. The company intends to launch seven new Harpertown based models ranging from 2.0-to-3.16 GHz on November 11, according to a posting on Intel’s reseller webpage. Standard “E” bin and performance “X” bin processors launch on November 11.

Intel Xeon processors carrying the “E” designation feature 80-watt TDP ratings while the “X” bin processors have higher 120-watt TDP ratings. Intel does not plan to launch the low-power “L” models until Q1’08, with two models in the pipeline.

Strangely, Intel never issued a formal announcement for the launch of Penryn nor has the November 11 date showed up on roadmaps. Instead, the launch date popped up on a public webpage for resellers.

Penryn Quad-Core Xeon DP

Model

Core
Frequency

TDP

L2 Cache

Launch Price

X5460

3.16 GHz

120W

12MB

$1,172

E5450

3.00 GHz

80W

12MB

$851

E5440

2.83 GHz

80W

12MB

$690

E5430

2.66 GHz

80W

12MB

$455

E5420

2.50 GHz

80W

12MB

$316

E5410

2.33 GHz

80W

12MB

$256

E5405

2.00 GHz

80W

12MB

$209

Pricing for Penryn-based Intel Xeon processors begin at $209 for the entry-level E5405 to $1,172 for the top-end X5460. Although Intel set the launch dates for quad-core Xeon based Penryn processors, the company remains silent on the launch date of the desktop and mobile counterparts.

Intel’s Penryn architecture is the next evolution of the Core 2 micro architecture that made its debut with Woodcrest and Conroe processors. Penryn introduces a 45nm fabrication process with a few additional performance enhancements. Most notably, Penryn introduces new SSE4 instructions for enhanced multimedia performance.

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